Articles of Interest

G.E. Plans to Build Largest Solar Panel Plant in U.S.

General Electric announced that it plans to build the nation’s largest photovoltaic panel factory. The new plant estimates to employ 400 workers and create 600 related jobs. The factory will alsostart to manufacture thin-film photovoltaic panels which, although less efficient than conventional solarpanels, can produce at a lower costs, proving them attractive to developers and utilities buildinglarge-scale power plants.

In general, G.E. has been aggressively expanding its energy portfolio, particularly through such acquisitions.

Natural gas–a key player in the effort to reduce “dirtier” fossil fuels and global warming–may not be as clean over-all as its proponents claim. Studies deem the development ofunconventional sources of natural gas as impractical and likely to increase our planet’s temperature more thanmining and burning coal.

Director of climate programs with the Natural Resources Defense Council, David Hawkins stated: ”This is a huge and growing industry, and we just don’t have the informationwe need to make sure that this resource is being developed as cleanly as it can be”